Matt On The run

A Photo & Travel Blog

This Is An experiment...

So you've found my travel blog. How do I start? Well, my name is Matt, and as a kid, I dedicated my life's goal and purpose to set foot inside every single country around the world. Needless to say, it was a dream. Despite my pleas and wishes, I didn't get my passport until after I graduated high school. For years, instead of traveling, I ran. Running was the best way I could experience the world first hand. And I'm still running.

I'm on the run. I'm a full time photographer, full time business owner, full time travel enthusiast, and I'm here to share the ins-and-outs, ups-and-downs, and all around crazy experiences I encounter while attempting to accomplish my life's goal of setting foot inside every country on the face of the earth. Pack your bags, grab a camera and follow along for the journey!

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Now, 4 years later, self-employed and running my own business as a freelance photographer, I question my past choices. Could I have been right about the job-security, guaranteed high-pay, and prestige to make an easy-going life? Could I have been misguided, blinded by my passion to create amongst an army of counter-culture misfits? From what it looked like, the creatives I followed online were wildly successful and doing monumental things all around the world. If they can do it, so can I.

I followed the notion that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Now I understand that by doing what I love, I never stop working.

You have to understand that nearly all of the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market tours leave early in the morning - and many book out in advance. Michael and I are late risers. We missed that opportunity, and with limited time in Bangkok, we set out to get there under any and all circumstances. This is something we could NOT miss being in Thailand.

This week, I had the spontaneous opportunity to head to the beach with a few new friends to say goodbye to summer. Here’s a few photos from our journey through the coastal mountains and down to the cliffs and beach next to the Pacific…

My husband Michael and I flew into Bangkok with smiles on our faces, as we were just starting out honeymoon trip and experiencing Thailand for the very first time! With all the chaos of planning a wedding, we actually didn't exactly plan out what we would be doing in Thailand, let alone our first day in Bangkok. Really, we just knew that we wanted to see as much of the city as possible with the little amount of time we had allotted there. And with that, we set off!

There are plenty more than 8 reasons to visit this incredible city. It is, at it's heart, where the most advanced and high-tech metropolis in the world meets ancient history. Futuristic high-rises tower next to quaint yet powerful shinto shrines. Millions of people file through Shinjuku's Central Station, making it the busiest train station on earth - and yet one can find peace and quiet in neighboring Yoyogi Park. Tokyo is a city for all of the senses. It's overwhelming, brilliantly invigorating, and there's nothing better for a novice traveler than a plunge into the city.

One of the most difficult things to figure out when planning a big trip is deciding where to stay. This was especially true for my friends and I when we started searching for our accommodations on our European backpacking trip. Looking into Copenhagen, we were overwhelmed with the number of options. Then, like an answer from the travel-gods, we took our search to HostelWorld and found this glorious gem...

Something that is grossly underrated throughout the world and life in general, is Nordic cuisine. It's iconic, it's amazing, it's everything you didn't know you wanted or needed in life, and more. I'm here to tell you, over latter half of the 20th century, Scandinavia has gone through quite a Renaissance when it comes to the diversity and presentation over their previously classic dishes. As Scandinavia's largest metropolitan area, Copenhagen not only boasts some of the greatest and famously sought-after restaurants, but a huge variety of world-class fare. Whether you're stopping in Denmark's capital city for a quick stopover, or diving in for a long immersive experience, you won't want to miss discovering a bit of what makes this place magical, the food!

Copenhagen has a special place in my heart. It's the city where I tried smørrebrød for the first time, drank my entire bodyweight in beer, and got engaged!! So, I may be a bit biased, but I do believe Copenhagen should be very close to the top of the list when thinking about making a trip to backpack Europe....